Shipping package for hollow cylindrical articles



Aug. 27, 1940.

G. E. MIRFIELD SHIPPING PACKAGE FOR HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES Filed May 6, 1958 Patented Aug. 27, 1940 unit stares T tries FATE snirrnvo PACKAGE roe noLLoW 1 ommnnroan sa'rrorns 2 Claims. (01. 206-59) This invention relates to packaging coils of strip metal or like hollow cylindrical articles for shipment and is particularly directed to providing improved, substantially moisture-proof packii aging for coils of metal strip of the character utilized, for example, in the manufacture of tin cans.

Such coils, which are usually several hundred pounds in weight, are often shipped and/or stored under such conditions as to be more or less exposed to the elements, and for prevention of rust and other corrosion it is therefore extremely important that they be so packaged as to protect the metal of the coil from atmospheric and other moisture.

Consequently it has been customary to line the inside of the coil with a sheet of heavy paper, to then wrap the coil in another sheet, and finally to fold the outer wrapping over the ends of the coil and into its interior, and then secure it .in place with suitable binding strips. This manner of packaging, however, is not only unsightly but, due to the random folding of the paper at the ends of the coil and for other reasons, often does not adequately protect the coil itself from atmospheric moisture, while the protruding and necessarily uneven and more or less loose folds in the paper at the ends are readily torn or punctured so that water or dampness can find its way to the coil. t

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a novel package for coils and similar articles whereby they may be fully protected from atmospheric moisture and the like at relatively small expense for wrapping materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide a neatly appearing,'smoothly finished package for such articles having substatially no project'- ing and unsupported folds of the wrapping material situated where they may be readily damaged during handling or shipment.

Another object is to provide a package the production of which requires but a minimum of time and effort, may be practised by unskilled work 45 men and does not r quire elaborate or expensive machinery or equipment to enable them to properly form the package.

A still further object is the provision of a novel coil containing package which is inexpensive, ef-

5 ficiently protects the enclosed coil from dust and dampness, is not subject to damage in handling or transit and which negatives any tendency of the convolutions of the coil to telescope endwise,

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the 55 invention will hereinafter more fully appear or will be understood fromthe following description of the production of a coil package of the character comprised by the invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section show- 5. ing a coil of metalstrip in the course of being wrapped or packaged in accordance with the inpackage in position to be applied thereto;

Fig. 3 isa side elevation partly in section of the completed package;

Fig. 4. is an end elevation thereof, and 15 Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 1 in Fig. 3. p

In the several figures, in whichthe relative thickness of certain of the materials used in forming, the package is necessarily exaggerated 2 0 for purpose of illustration, like characters are used to designate the same parts.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the coil C maybe considered as representative of any hollow cylindrical article adapted 25 to be packaged for shipment or the like in accordance with the invention, for while the latter is of particular advantage in packaging coils ,of metal strip such as that shown in the drawing, it may also be employed in connection with 30 other articles of generally similar contour; the specific nature of the articles therefore constitutes no part of the invention. In packaging the coil C in accordance therewith, "however, I initially apply to theiinner and outer cylindrical 35 surfaces of coil sheets i, l of glazed or other suitable paper of a size 'sumcient to overlap slightly circumferentially of the coil andextend. from end to end thereof, and next apply layers of fairly heavy waterproof paper 2', 2, prefera- 40 bly substantially coextensive with glazed paper sheets i, l, over the latter so' that the inner and the outer surfaces of the coil are now cov ered by two sheets of paper. r For enclosing and covering the ends of these sheets and the ends of the coil, special preformed annular end caps 3-, 3 are provided, these caps being preferably made upon a suitable machine or in any other convenient way from creped waterproof paper. Each cap is of approximately U-s haped cross section on any radial plane and of an inner and outer diameter such that its inner and outer walls a and h'will respectively overlie and preferably hug the adjacent end portions of the inner and outer cylinsecured together at their ends to form a hoop initially slightly larger than the inside of the cap. Then by pinching the hoop so as to create a small inwardly projecting loop, the hoop can be readily inserted in the cap and the loop then pressed outwardly to expand the hoop against it, after which the natural spring in the metal holds the hoop in place and the adjacent part of the cap snuglyagainst the inner wrapping sheet.

A metal band is also applied to the outer circumference of each end cap and after being tightly pulled into place is secured with a tie v6 or in any other convenient way so as to bind the cap against the outerwrapping 2 and longitudinal straps i, usually three in number, are

then applied so as to extend entirely about the coil from end to end, U-shaped metal guards ii being preferably interposed between these straps and the end caps so as to protect the latter as well as the ends of the coil proper from being cut or abraded by the straps which, after being set up tightly, are secured by ties 9 or in any other suitable manner. These straps of course overlie the circumferential hoops and bands 3 and 5 and not only bind all the parts firmly to- .gether but prevent any endwise shifting or telescoping of the convolutions of coil C if the package is roughly handled.

, As a final step to insure complete protection to the coil against access of dust,moisture or dampness, a sealing material, preferably asphalt or the like, is desirably applied in'fiuid condition to certain of the seams of the package, particularly the inside longitudinal seam formed by the edges of the inner wrapping 2' and the seams between this wrapping and the inner edges of caps 31, 3, since during shipment or the like water may sometimes collect and stand in the hollow inte rior of the package and seep through these seams if they are not sealed. The other seams may also be sealed in a similar manner if desired, although this is generally unnecessary.

' It will now be apparent that my novel package may be quickly and easily produced by unskilled labor, affords a substantially dust and damp proof impervious covering for the coil,

and requires considerably less wrapping material than heretofore employed for packaging like 1 articles in the customary way. The package is,

gitudinally.

moreover, of neat appearance and embodies no unsightly and readily damaged protruding folds of Wrapping material and can consequently be handled and transported with much greater f-acility than when excessive care must be taken to avoid injury to the covering. In fact coils packaged in accordance with the invention which have been shipped during inclement weather have been found on arrival at their destination and after exposure to the rain for several days to be entirely dry, free from rust and otherwise in first-class condition.

It will be understood that while I have herein described with considerable particularity a preferred manner of packaging coils in accordance with the invention and a specific package produced as a result thereof, I do not desire or intend thereby to limitor confine myself in any Way since changes and modifications in the method of producing the package as well as in the package itself will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be utilized if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

l. A shipping package containing a hollow cylindrical coil and comprising coverings of sheet material respectively engaging the inner and outer cylindrical surfaces of the coil, a preformed annular cap of substantially ll-shaped cross section at each end of the coil overlying the adjacent ends of said coverings, circumferentially extending means respectively within and without each of the caps retaining the latter in intimate engagement with the adjacent coverings, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal bindings overlying the coverings, the end caps and said circumferential means.

2. A shipping package containing a hollow cylindrical coil of metalstrip and comprising inher and outer coverings of paper disposed about its inner and outer surfaces extending from one end to the other thereof and respectively over lapping circumferentially, a preformed annular cap at each extremity of the coil extending transversely across the end thereof and longitudinally toward the opposite end exteriorly of the inner and. outer coverings, circumferentially extending bands respectively holding the free ends of each ,cap in intimate engagement with the adjacent coverings, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced metal straps respectively extending about both caps and along the outer and inner coverings and binding the several parts together lon- GEORGE E. IWIRFIELD. 

